Dear Members of the SUNY Oswego Community-
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Karen Crowe as the Interim Vice President for Communication and Marketing. Her tenure will commence on December 1 and extend until May 31. Karen will assume the responsibilities previously held by Wayne Westervelt, the former Chief Communications Officer, and will play a key role in advancing Vision 4040, including support for enrollment growth, visibility of our academic programs, and the strategic positioning of our Oswego and Syracuse campuses.
Karen has more than 30 years of experience leading communications and marketing departments in the education, government, and non-profit sectors. She served as Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Communications at the City University of New York Herbert H. Lehman College, where she raised visibility by refocusing staff on media relations and social media activities. She revised and reinforced branding guidelines and worked closely with the Admissions Department to increase applications and enrollment.
Prior to this, she served as Associate Commissioner for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, responsible for advertising, media relations, publications, language access, website, and social media. She managed a budget of more than $10 million and developed impactful campaigns around key topics such as smoking cessation, HIV prevention and treatment, and healthy eating. She has held numerous high-profile positions in the New York City Office of the Mayor, the city’s Education Department, and the city’s Comptroller’s Office. Karen also led communications efforts for SEIU Local 32BJ, a union representing building service workers during their expansion throughout the northeastern U.S. Karen holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from New York University.
I worked with Karen at Lehman College and know her to be responsive, thoughtful, and very creative. Her breadth of experience and skills will serve us well as we conduct our search for a permanent Vice President for Communication and Marketing (VPCM).
Karen will be a member of the President’s executive leadership team and will report directly to the President. Please join me in welcoming Karen to SUNY Oswego and congratulating her on this interim role.
Remain well,
Peter O. Nwosu, Ph.D.
President